All the Arts, All the Time

Monster Mash: Jeff Bezos of Amazon gives $10 million to museum

August 18, 2011 | 7:50
am

Generous: Jeff Bezos, the billionaire who started Amazon.com, has given $10 million to the Museum of History & Industry in Seattle. (Seattle Times)

Bizarre: An Orange County gallery owner has accused artist Todd White, a former designer on the "SpongeBob SquarePants" animated series, of hiring thugs to hold her hostage and steal $1.5 million worth of art. White claims the gallery is a massive forgery operation. (Art Newspaper)

Not budging: Musicians of the bankrupt Philadelphia Orchestra have rejected a strategic plan prepared by President Allison B. Vulgamore and management leaders. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Shady operations: Police in Seoul said that they have arrested a woman for allegedly smuggling North Korean paintings into South Korea, and sending some of the profits to the North. (Yonhap News Agency)

Circle of life: "The Lion King" on Broadway will host a special October performance geared specifically to individuals with autism and their families. (Los Angeles Times)

Accord: The Lyric Opera of Chicago and the American Guild of Musical Artists have reached tentative agreement Tuesday night on a contract for the 2011-12 season. (Chicago Tribune)

Hard times: A number of museums in the Netherlands are looking to sell parts of their collections to help make ends meet. (Reuters)

Against the odds: A disabled artist who had part of her brain removed is launching a custom mural business with the help of federal stimulus dollars. (Toledo Blade)

Music teacher: Louise Behrend, a violinist who was key to introducing the popular Suzuki method to the U.S., has died at 94. (Washington Post)